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2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Boone Goon
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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by Boone Goon » Sun May 08, 2022 2:40 pm

asu66 wrote:
Fri May 06, 2022 11:51 pm
asu66 wrote:
Fri May 06, 2022 8:24 pm
Appstate35 wrote:
Fri May 06, 2022 11:28 am
Stonewall wrote:
Wed May 04, 2022 8:09 pm
I wouldn't say "great".
Why’s that?
Perhaps 'cause we're 15-26 with losing records both home & away. That's bloody terrible! Nothing "great" in sight!
FWIW, I love every kid and every coach in our program and want the best of everything for them.

Our baseball program is fully funded. That's NCAA-speak meaning that App offers the D-I baseball maximum of 11.7 scholarships which can be divided among a maximum of 27 players. We have a fine baseball facility and access to an indoor practice facility. I don't subscribe to the "cold weather school" excuse for our low winning percentage because we play and lose to other cold weather teams about every year. It's about talent (recruiting) and coaching (player development) and the job just isn't getting done to an acceptable level of success. I'm not into coach firings with this mini-rant, but I am strongly implying that some of the things our folks are doing aren't working. It's high time that they try some new and/or different approaches to see if they can turn the good ship around for next season.

For the record, I know that we aren't Mississippi State or Vanderbilt or Michigan or Florida or UNC or Wake or even Coastal Carolina...but we can be App State with a much more respectable and competitive program than is the case now.
Are you sure we're funding all 11.7 scholarships? The last I heard, we were funding 9 of the 11.7.

As for your other points:
Facilities - our baseball facilities are below average for the SoCon and BigSouth. They're at the bottom of the SunBelt.
Cold weather - it hurts, but its an excuse that we have to be able to overcome, it isn't going to change. With that said, people talk like we've had 5-7 year stretches of winning records in the past 30 years under multiple coaches...that's just not the case. How many consecutive winning seasons have we had in the last 35 years? ...I'll wait.
Recruiting - I agree
Coaching/player development - I agree. Our pitching coach has been at App for 7+ seasons (holdover from Billy's staff), and this continues to be a weakness.
I'm a big fan of Kermit's and believe he's the right coach to lead our program, but I also believe he needs to upgrade his staff if he's going to compete in the top half of the conference year in and year out.

AppSt94
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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by AppSt94 » Sun May 08, 2022 2:54 pm

We have a ton of competition for in state talent and our climate does play a factor in recruiting. Teams do use it against us in terms of climate and practice facilities.

WataugaMan
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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by WataugaMan » Sun May 08, 2022 3:17 pm

Coaching/player development - I agree. Our pitching coach has been at App for 7+ seasons (holdover from Billy's staff), and this continues to be a weakness.
I'm a big fan of Kermit's and believe he's the right coach to lead our program, but I also believe he needs to upgrade his staff if he's going to compete in the top half of the conference year in and year out.

Agree as well

Stonewall
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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by Stonewall » Sun May 08, 2022 3:44 pm

He has another year to figure it out as I understand it .As to today the bats are awake , and we have gotten a little help from Panther miscues.Can we hold on?

Stonewall
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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by Stonewall » Sun May 08, 2022 4:01 pm

Ten runs on fourteen hits , no errors.10-7 WIN.Much needed .Kepley pitched the ninth , allowed a lead off single then shut them down.

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hapapp
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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by hapapp » Sun May 08, 2022 6:49 pm

Boone Goon wrote:
Sun May 08, 2022 2:40 pm
asu66 wrote:
Fri May 06, 2022 11:51 pm
asu66 wrote:
Fri May 06, 2022 8:24 pm
Appstate35 wrote:
Fri May 06, 2022 11:28 am
Stonewall wrote:
Wed May 04, 2022 8:09 pm
I wouldn't say "great".
Why’s that?
Perhaps 'cause we're 15-26 with losing records both home & away. That's bloody terrible! Nothing "great" in sight!
FWIW, I love every kid and every coach in our program and want the best of everything for them.

Our baseball program is fully funded. That's NCAA-speak meaning that App offers the D-I baseball maximum of 11.7 scholarships which can be divided among a maximum of 27 players. We have a fine baseball facility and access to an indoor practice facility. I don't subscribe to the "cold weather school" excuse for our low winning percentage because we play and lose to other cold weather teams about every year. It's about talent (recruiting) and coaching (player development) and the job just isn't getting done to an acceptable level of success. I'm not into coach firings with this mini-rant, but I am strongly implying that some of the things our folks are doing aren't working. It's high time that they try some new and/or different approaches to see if they can turn the good ship around for next season.

For the record, I know that we aren't Mississippi State or Vanderbilt or Michigan or Florida or UNC or Wake or even Coastal Carolina...but we can be App State with a much more respectable and competitive program than is the case now.
Are you sure we're funding all 11.7 scholarships? The last I heard, we were funding 9 of the 11.7.

As for your other points:
Facilities - our baseball facilities are below average for the SoCon and BigSouth. They're at the bottom of the SunBelt.
Cold weather - it hurts, but its an excuse that we have to be able to overcome, it isn't going to change. With that said, people talk like we've had 5-7 year stretches of winning records in the past 30 years under multiple coaches...that's just not the case. How many consecutive winning seasons have we had in the last 35 years? ...I'll wait.
Recruiting - I agree
Coaching/player development - I agree. Our pitching coach has been at App for 7+ seasons (holdover from Billy's staff), and this continues to be a weakness.
I'm a big fan of Kermit's and believe he's the right coach to lead our program, but I also believe he needs to upgrade his staff if he's going to compete in the top half of the conference year in and year out.
From 1981-1989 we had consecutive winning seasons and then again 2007-2013.

Overall App State baseball is 36 games under .500.

App State has had 12 head coaches in its history. Three of those had winning records.

The most successful stretch of App baseball was 1967-1998 under Frank Lovrich (.622) and Jim Morris (.562). During that stretch we had 20 winning seasons.

Only 3 App baseball alums have MLB careers that lasted a decade. Two of those, Ron Hodges and Mike Ramsey played in the 70s.

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T-Dog
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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by T-Dog » Sun May 08, 2022 10:25 pm

It's funny how some think App's facilities for baseball are at the bottom of the Sun Belt. I remember Louisiana's PBP guy, who has been to every Sun Belt facility multiple times over, had Smith Stadium solidly in the middle at I believe 7th best. Said it's smaller capacity than most, but a perfectly fine stadium.

Little Rock and UTA were below App and they both leave this summer, Southern Miss will be above App, ODU's new stadium will be better, Marshall will be worst in the league (they don't even have lights and play away from campus) and JMU's is probably level with App.

Georgia State essentially plays at a rec field 20-some miles from their campus. However they're going to build baseball and softball fields at the old Fulton County Stadium site in the next few years.

Boone Goon
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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by Boone Goon » Mon May 09, 2022 6:31 am

T-Dog wrote:
Sun May 08, 2022 10:25 pm
It's funny how some think App's facilities for baseball are at the bottom of the Sun Belt. I remember Louisiana's PBP guy, who has been to every Sun Belt facility multiple times over, had Smith Stadium solidly in the middle at I believe 7th best. Said it's smaller capacity than most, but a perfectly fine stadium.

Little Rock and UTA were below App and they both leave this summer, Southern Miss will be above App, ODU's new stadium will be better, Marshall will be worst in the league (they don't even have lights and play away from campus) and JMU's is probably level with App.

Georgia State essentially plays at a rec field 20-some miles from their campus. However they're going to build baseball and softball fields at the old Fulton County Stadium site in the next few years.
Thomas, our stadium is fine. The turf is beautiful, the view is great in (the fall) and the seating is appropriate for the number of fans who attend. But our facilities are inferior to just about every SBC team including ALL the new ones with the possible exception of Marshall. JMU's facilities (locker room, indoor batting/pitching, bullpen areas, scoreboards, batters eye (newly added at App), press area, coaches offices, training room, weight room, etc.) are all better than App's.

For in-state comparison, UNCG, UNCW, UNCC, Campbell and Elon all have better facilities than App. Stack on the ACC schools and we're 10th in our state...at best! We can use weather as an excuse, but we don't have a lot to point to as "Why App" when recruiting in-state talent.

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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by bigdaddyg » Mon May 09, 2022 6:37 am

I’ve read these different takes on the App baseball situation and the references to facility “rankings” (so to speak). Aside from our stadium what else is there that either pushes us up or down this ranking? Are we really losing stud players due to facilities? Let’s assume we are funding scholarships like every other peer school- I’m not even considering the traditional power programs- isn’t it a fairly level playing field? How did CCU put together a roster good enough to win it all? It’s been mentioned that not too long ago we put a team in the regionals and nearly won it. We have had success and the climate has always sucked. I just think that college baseball is a little different in terms of bringing in players. Do other schools offset the limitations of scholarships by supplementing them with academic offsets? Surely the big boys don’t give full rides to 11 guys and make the rest pay their way.

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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by AppSt94 » Mon May 09, 2022 6:55 am

bigdaddyg wrote:
Mon May 09, 2022 6:37 am
I’ve read these different takes on the App baseball situation and the references to facility “rankings” (so to speak). Aside from our stadium what else is there that either pushes us up or down this ranking? Are we really losing stud players due to facilities? Let’s assume we are funding scholarships like every other peer school- I’m not even considering the traditional power programs- isn’t it a fairly level playing field? How did CCU put together a roster good enough to win it all? It’s been mentioned that not too long ago we put a team in the regionals and nearly won it. We have had success and the climate has always sucked. I just think that college baseball is a little different in terms of bringing in players. Do other schools offset the limitations of scholarships by supplementing them with academic offsets? Surely the big boys don’t give full rides to 11 guys and make the rest pay their way.
I’m sure that App, like any other school can, defray cost through some academic financial aid. States like Florida, Georgia and Louisiana have Hope/Bright Futures that really help. Thanks to Bright Futures, my daughter’s four year education in a Florida University cost me $16,000 total.

But look at the competition for talent in the state. The best of the talent is either going to the MLB draft or a P5. Then you have the stranglehold ECU has on the east coast where baseball is religion. Now add in the plethora of D1 schools in the state, along with some good DIi schools like Methodist and Mount Olive, plus a private school like Liberty that is good and can offset cost of attendance with financial aid and it’s tough. Then you factor in the overall talent level in the state in any given year and you are going to have ebbs and flows.

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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by Boone Goon » Mon May 09, 2022 6:56 am

I would include the following into Facilities:
Locker room
Dugout
Indoor batting cages
Indoor pitching lanes
Weight room
Training room
Equipment (Rapsodo, HitTrax, etc)
In-game equipment (Nike/Adidas/Wilson/etc)
Outdoor practice space (infield only, pitchers mounds, batting cages)
Stadium playing surface
Stadium overall (scoreboard, seating, audio-system, concessions)
Coaches offices
Stadium proximity to on-campus housing (Elon, Campbell, UNCG all benefit from proximity. Realistically, people have to drive to App's).
Player lounge/study area (this is particularly important when your stadium is as far away from dorms and academic buildings)

...I'm sure I've forgotten some things, so please add to it.

As a passionate Appalachian alumnus and fan of the baseball team, I think realistically from a facilities comparison, we are in the bottom half of all of these with the exception of playing surface; but that is a deteriorating asset that will need to be replaced again in 7-8 years.

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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by Boone Goon » Mon May 09, 2022 6:58 am

@AppSt94 Yes, I forgot ECU. Objectively, that moves App's baseball facilities to 11th, in-state.

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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by bigdaddyg » Mon May 09, 2022 8:52 am

If (big if) we magically upgraded every aspect of our facilities listed above and were now top of the line we would still have crappy weather for at least half of the season and our stadium would be in the same place. Would any of that really persuade better high school players to come to Boone? Great point above about the D2 and even D3 programs (and the “lower level”) D1’s. Guys who can play don’t seem to mind going to a D2, a High Point or Campbell. They know that they can play there and can still get noticed by scouts (if that’s the goal). A guy from the high school my boys played at who graduated about 7 years ago professed to not being great back then went to a community college for 2 years before transferring to a 4 year. His skills jumped tremendously and he was drafted. Is currently on the staff for the Angels. He went an unconventional route but made it to the show.

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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by Boone Goon » Mon May 09, 2022 9:24 am

@JG, our biggest opportunity for sustained success is player development. We’ve not consistently demonstrated an ability to bring in players and develop them into better players since the Pollard years.
Kermit has to look at his staff with a critical eye. Are they great recruiters? Are they excellent in game minds? Are they skilled at developing? Do they forge great relationships that retain guys from transferring?

Just like in our line of work, staff turnover is okay. Being at a place where other programs want to hire away from is a positive. If headhunters don’t call you or your company that should be a concern.

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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by WVAPPeer » Mon May 09, 2022 9:26 am

Recent article on Marshall baseball stadium
https://wvmetronews.com/2022/05/01/smit ... fore-long/
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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by Stonewall » Mon May 09, 2022 4:57 pm

Boone Goon wrote:
Mon May 09, 2022 9:24 am
@JG, our biggest opportunity for sustained success is player development. We’ve not consistently demonstrated an ability to bring in players and develop them into better players since the Pollard years.
Kermit has to look at his staff with a critical eye. Are they great recruiters? Are they excellent in game minds? Are they skilled at developing? Do they forge great relationships that retain guys from transferring?

Just like in our line of work, staff turnover is okay. Being at a place where other programs want to hire away from is a positive. If headhunters don’t call you or your company that should be a concern.
Good summary.

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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by McLeansvilleAppFan » Tue May 10, 2022 10:23 am

Boone Goon wrote:
Mon May 09, 2022 6:58 am
@AppSt94 Yes, I forgot ECU. Objectively, that moves App's baseball facilities to 11th, in-state.
Well we are above A&T with baseball facilities for a bit longer, but if their improvements go through even that may not be the case.
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Stonewall
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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by Stonewall » Fri May 13, 2022 1:03 pm

It's do or die time.Got to find a way....

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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by AppFan11 » Fri May 13, 2022 9:35 pm

App wins game 1….3-1 we’ll take it for sure.

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Re: 2022 Baseball Mega Thread

Unread post by Stonewall » Sat May 14, 2022 1:26 pm

Solid from start to finish, ned to keep it rolling.

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